Baby-jumper.



PATENTED OCT. 31, 1905.

w a 0a,.. 0W1. r u c u a ..WL M I H o a o 9 m m 0 M z 5 7 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented ct. 31, 1905.

Application filed November 8, 190 Serial No. 231,943.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ELLA M. MONROE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Liberty, in the county of Sullivan and State of New SrYOIk, have invented new and useful Improvements in Baby-Jumpers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in baby-jumpers, the object of the invention being to provide a device of this kind which is adjustable to suit children of different sizes and ages and to insure comfort to the child using the same and which is provided with a safety connection to prevent the jumper and child from falling in the event of breaking of the suspending-spring.

The accompanying drawing shows in perspectivea baby-jumper constructed in accordance with my invention.

The numeral 1 in the drawing designates a sling, preferably made of a single piece of material-such as leather, cloth, or any other suitable fabric-and which comprises a body band or belt 2, whose ends 3 and 4: are respectively provided with buckles 5 and connecting-straps 6, adapted to engage said buckles to permit the band to be adjusted to fit snugly and easily about the body of the child. From the rear portion of the band 2 extends a saddle-piece or seat portion 7, the side edges of which flare and converge to a reduced extremity 8, which forms a crotch-piece, the free end of said crotch-piece being provided on opposite sides of its center with buckles 9, adapted to adjustably engage straps 10 on the ends 3 and 4 of the band 2, by means of which the saddle or seat portion and crotch may be ad justed to suit the size of the child to be suspended and insure comfort to the same in the use of the jumper. The lower edges of the end of the body-band and side edges of the saddle-piece and crotch-piece are so shaped that when the crotch-piece is folded up and connected by the buckles and straps to the band openings 11 will be formed to permit the limbs of the child to project through the sling, so that the feet of the child may rest upon the floor. It will be observed that this construction of the sling not only permits the bodyband, but the saddle or seat portion and crotch,- to be adjusted in the most eifective manner to fit the child snugly, and yet comfortably, and prevent compression upon the parts of the body.

To the upper edge of the body band or belt 2 buckles 12 are attached and are adapted to ened by the resulting exercise.

adjustably engage the apertured lower ends of supporting-straps 13, by which after the jumper has been suspended from a ceiling or door-frame to the approximate height the sling may be adjusted to accurately position the same at a proper distance above the floor to securely hold the child in a standing position, with the feet of the child just touching the floor, so that no strain will fall upon the limbs. The straps 18 are secured at a point intermediate their length toa hook or spreaderring 14, which holds them in proper spaced relation, and above this hook the upper ends of the straps converge and are attached to a connector 15, which may be in the form of a ring or of a plate having openings through which the extremities of the straps are adapted to pass, so that they may be folded upon the body of the strap and riveted or otherwise secured thereto. Above the connector 15 is arranged a suspending-ring 16, which is vertically disposed and is attached to the connector by a trefoliate or tripartite strap 17 the portions or members of which extend downward from the ring and are suitably at tached to the connector 15. sion-spring 18, disposed above the ring 16, has its lower end bent to form a hook or loop 19, which receives and engages the ring 16, and its upper end bent to form a similar hook or loop 20, to which one end of a suspending cord, cable, or rope 21 is attached. The said cord, rope, or cable 21 forms a main suspending device which is adapted to be connected to a hook or eyebolt secured in the ceiling or lintel of a door-frame to suspend the jumper therefrom, while the ring 16 forms a secondary suspending device which directly supports from the spring 18 the body of the jumper, comprising its sling 1 and its supporting-straps 13.

In practice it will be understood that the cord or cable 21 is attached to the hook or eyebolt aforesaid to support the device from the ceiling of the room or lintel of a door-frame, the child placed in the sling 1, and the straps of the sling and the supporting-straps adjusted to properly fit the sling and support the same at the required height. Under the motion of a child whose feet just touch the floor the sling will move or dance up and down through the action of the spring 18, whereby the child is kept amused and its legs strength- As the child grows stronger and larger the sling may be elevated to a greater height through its ad- A spiral suspen-.

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justable connection with the straps 13, thus enabling the exercising movements to be gradually increased proportionately to the childs strength.

It is common in this class of devices to employ coiled suspension springs, such as the spring 18 shown in the present construction,

to permit the dancing movement of the sling or supporting device. These springs are ordinarily made of tempered steel and sometimes are of such a brittle nature that the connecting portions or ends thereof break under strain and permit the jumper to fall, thus endangering the life or limbs of the child. In order to prevent accidents of this character in the event that the spring 18 should break under strain, I provide a safety connection which upon the breaking of the spring will be brought into action to directly connect the main and secondary supporting devicesnamely, the suspending cord or cable 21 and the ring 16to limit the downward movement of the jumper, and thus prevent the same and the child from falling. This safety connection in the present embodiment of the invention consists of a cord, chain, or cable 22, attached at one end to the ring 16 and at the other end to the cable 21 just above the point of connection of the latter to the hook 20 of the spring 18. This safety cord or connection may be independent of the cable 21 or constitute an integral part thereof, in which case the lower end of the cable 21 will be, as shown in the present instance, doubled and knotted to form a loop 23 to engage the hook 20, the end of the cord thence continuing to provide the connection 22. The connection 22 is of such length as to permit the free extension of the spring 18 without interference and come only into play when the spring breaks and the ring descends a greater distance than it is permitted to descend when the spring is expanded to its greatest limit. If in the operation of the device either hook or loop 19 or 20 should break, thus permitting the ring 16 to descend, the extent of fall or descent of the same will be limited by-the said connection 22, which upon the downward movement of said ring to a predetermined extent will be drawn taut and form a directconnection between the ring and the suspending cord or cable 21, thus preventing the sling from descending to any material extent or with sufiicient force or jar to injure the child.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, the construction and mode of operation will be understood without a further extended de- I scription.

Changes in the form, proportions, and minor details of construction may be made within the scope of the invention without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages thereof.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is- In a baby -jumper, the combination of a sling, a connector, suspending-straps attached at their lower ends to the sling and at their upper ends to the connector, a supportingring, a suspending-spring connected to the ring, and a tripartite strap hung upon the ring and attached by its pendent portions to the connector.

ELLA M. MONROE. 1n presence of- HORACE J. SEvuRANon, ROBERT E. Wi-IITTAKER. 

